Kenya’s vice president Kalonzo Musyoka, the man described by US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger in Wikileaks cables as an opportunist and an intellectual lightweight, is currently lobbying countries to support deferral of the International Criminal Court cases against six prominent Kenyans suspected of crimes against humanity following disputed elections. The ICC took up the cases after the Kenyan government failed to take any action to try anyone for the crimes.
At least two of the suspects, William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta, harbour ambitions of being elected president next year. They seem to think that the ICC proceedings will be less likely if they hold high office. Ironically, the two were implacable enemies during the post-election violence, with Ruto allegedly sending his thugs to attack Kenyatta’s tribesmen while Kenyatta allegedly sent his thugs to attack Ruto’s tribesmen. The ICC proceedings have moved the two into an uneasy alliance, supported by the president and vice president, and opposed by the prime minister.
For the time being, those who seek impunity for those who hold prominent positions in Kenya – an impunity which has in reality existed for many years, although not publicly acknowledged – are holding the upper hand. Now Musyoka and others are flying round the world at considerable expense to Kenyan taxpayers lobbying others to interfere in the ICC proceedings on the ground that those proceedings might lead to violence (presumably a veiled threat from Ruto and Kenyatta).